24. Is It Okay If I Kill?
Most Martial Artists in the Murim like to call themselves heroes.
But what is a hero, really?
As Sima Qian once said: "Scholars disrupt the law with their words, heroes break the law with their swords." In other words, so-called heroes are just ruffians who flout the law with their blades.
It's a single sentence that cuts through the countless self-proclaimed heroes of the Jianghu.
If things go south, they're the first to draw their swords.
The Orthodox Faction is somewhat better, but at their core, they all put martial prowess above all else.
The Yangha Iron Workshop is always bustling with people.
It's only natural that Martial Artists swarm to skilled craftsmen like bees to honey.
But when sword-wielding Martial Artists gather, trouble is bound to follow.
That's why the Azure Hero Society always has their men stationed here.
Their job is to protect the Workshop and its craftsmen... but make no mistake, they're the same breed—Martial Artists who call themselves heroes but are quick to draw their swords when things don't go their way. Sun Wukong was witnessing this firsthand.
"I heard you have some precious items, young master. Don't worry. We're not here to rob you at swordpoint. We just want to do a little business, that's all."
The man sneered, the scabbard at his waist rattling noisily.
Im Bo, a Martial Artist from the Azure Hero Society, had been watching Sun Wukong ever since he entered the Workshop.
'He brought meteorite iron? And there's more where that came from?'
Im Bo immediately sent his subordinates to investigate. He wanted to dig up Sun Wukong's background.
Naturally, information was scarce. Since joining the Namgung Clan, Sun Wukong hadn't set foot outside even once.
'Could he be a half-breed, the son of a Tibetan landowner and a foreign woman, traveling through the Central Plains?'
Tibet, huh? It made sense.
If he was the mixed-blood son of a landowner who traded with the foreigners beyond Tianzhu and the great desert...
For someone like Im Bo, who was born and raised in the Central Plains, Tibet was a land of mystery, overflowing with treasures.
It was plausible that someone on a sightseeing trip would bring so much meteorite iron.
Of course, Im Bo didn't act rashly.
He kept a close eye on Sun Wukong all the way from the Workshop to the tavern.
Im Bo, who had reached the level of a first-rate Martial Artist, couldn't sense any internal qi from Sun Wukong.
His posture, stride, and arm movements were nothing like a Martial Artist's.
But the man beside him, Wujing, was different.
He looked like a thug, but his bearing was unmistakably that of a Martial Artist.
'Maybe the young master from Tibet and his bodyguard?'
Still, Im Bo remained cautious. This was meteorite iron, after all—a whole lot of it.
Was this a windfall, or would it be too much to swallow? He had to be careful.
But soon, Im Bo made up his mind. It was right after Muhwa sat down next to Sun Wukong.
'He even has a woman with him?'
Im Bo smirked, his mind made up as he eyed the heavily made-up beauty.
She wore a sword at her waist, but she was clearly no Martial Artist. Female Martial Masters never wore that much makeup. She didn't have the frail, delicate look of a courtesan, either.
'Well, maybe that's just his type—healthy-looking beauties.'
Most importantly, he couldn't sense any internal qi from her.
Of course, that was because Muhwa's true strength was far beyond Im Bo's, but his mind was already made up and he didn't even consider the possibility.
'If he's just a tourist from Tibet, he probably has no special ties to the Murim of the Central Plains.'
Im Bo made his decision.
'If I can get my hands on that meteorite iron, my standing in the Society will...!'
The Azure Hero Society's men exuded a menacing aura.
When they surrounded someone, the pressure was on a whole different level.
"Never seen you around here before. Are you perhaps visiting from Tibet?"
"And what if I am? What's it to you?"
Im Bo was momentarily at a loss for words at the unexpected reply.
There was none of the usual nervousness people showed when under pressure.
Sun Wukong's languid eyes were filled with nothing but ease.
Maybe he was relying on his bodyguard.
"Stop trying to act all intimidating and cut the small talk. Just get to the point. You're all here drooling over my meteorite iron, aren't you? Like a pack of beggars."
Im Bo's forehead twitched at Sun Wukong's lazy tone.
"...Well, since you know, this will be easier. Hand over the meteorite iron. We'll pay you for it."
"How much?"
"I'll make sure you get a fair price."
"Hmm."
Sun Wukong glanced around.
Counting Im Bo, there were eleven Azure Hero Society Martial Artists.
As if tallying them up, Sun Wukong counted aloud, "One, two..." and then clicked his tongue.
"Not enough."
"You're not even listening..."
"Eleven worthless lives? That's nowhere near enough."
"...!"
Im Bo's face flushed as he realized what Sun Wukong meant.
"You dare act so cocky just because you have a bodyguard?"
Sun Wukong smirked and turned to Wujing.
"So, you're my bodyguard now?"
"Oh, come on! What a terrible misunderstanding."
Sensing where things were headed, Muhwa interjected.
"Is this it? The plan you came up with, Master Sun?"
Sun Wukong just gave her a sly grin instead of answering.
"What the hell are you all mumbling about?!"
Im Bo's eyes flashed as he drew his sword.
Clearly, these people had no idea what the Murim of the Central Plains was like.
Relying on his bodyguard and the woman at his side, he was putting on a show.
If he just beat up the bodyguard, the rest would surely be terrified and hand over the meteorite iron.
Im Bo swung his sword without hesitation.
Wujing, startled, flipped the table to block the attack.
Crash!
"I told you, I'm not his bodyguard!"
It was a sharp, swift strike. But even without a weapon, Wujing was a first-rate Martial Artist, more than capable of holding his own.
Especially after internalizing the insights he'd gained from the recent Martial Duel.
He dodged and blocked several swords coming at him from different angles.
While Im Bo's men kept Wujing busy, Im Bo tried to detain Sun Wukong.
Or at least, he tried.
Clang!
"...The woman?"
Im Bo frowned. That was an abnormal rebound.
The shock through his wrist nearly made him drop his sword.
Muhwa had stepped in front of Sun Wukong, sword drawn.
His eyes trembled.
'So she wasn't just some woman tagging along?'
A warning bell finally went off in Im Bo's head.
'She's a bodyguard too.'
He bit his lip.
Too late for regrets. There was no turning back now.
In the Murim, once swords are drawn, there's no going back. Now, it was a fight to the finish. Im Bo had to intimidate Sun Wukong into handing over the meteorite iron for cheap. Sun Wukong had to defeat Im Bo and the Azure Hero Society's men.
Everyone was aware of this.
Im Bo swung his sword like lightning.
Clang, clang, clang!
A fierce battle broke out. Food flew, dishes shattered, chairs and tables were smashed to pieces.
In the chaos, Wujing managed to handle three opponents at once.
The remaining eight launched a wheel-turning assault on Muhwa.
Muhwa was on a different level than the Azure Hero Society here.
But with eight attacking from all sides in the cramped tavern, there wasn't much she could do.
Meanwhile, Sun Wukong just sat there calmly.
Wujing shouted in frustration.
"Hey, Great Hero! A little help here! We're in this mess because of you!"
Sun Wukong replied leisurely,
"Come now, how could I move when my bodyguards are fighting?"
"Oh, for—"
Unbelievable.
Sun Wukong snickered, then reached under his cat's front legs and lifted it up.
"Master Jangkyung, since you're up there, could you ask the Bodhisattva something for me? Is it okay if I kill?"
Meow.
It was almost surreal. Right in the middle of a deadly sword fight, he was talking to a cat like some otherworldly immortal.
Strangely, his voice rang out clear, and everyone was transfixed by his actions.
"Well, I suppose they haven't committed any truly unforgivable crimes. No need to go as far as killing."
Meowww.
Sun Wukong tucked Master Jangkyung gently into his robe and stood up.
At that moment, Im Bo lunged at Sun Wukong like a thunderbolt.
Muhwa and Wujing were both formidable, and he couldn't guarantee victory against them.
The only way out was to take Sun Wukong—who seemed to have no martial skills—hostage.
In that instant, a red aura gathered at Sun Wukong's fingertips.
For the first time, he activated his dantian.
A power he hadn't yet named—demonic power—flared fiercely at his fingertips.
At the same time, Sun Wukong's presence changed dramatically.
A massive fiery demon seemed to envelop the room, red energy swirling everywhere.
As his golden eyes flashed, Im Bo's face went pale.
'A Martial Master!'
It was unmistakable. That aura, that presence—everything.
Im Bo swallowed hard and immediately turned to flee.
His instincts screamed at him to run without hesitation.
Im Bo was a skilled Martial Artist, which meant he was also experienced in the ways of the Jianghu.
He threw his sword, channeling his internal qi into it.
Sun Wukong casually flicked the sword aside with his fingertips.
While abandoning his sword, Im Bo bolted out of the tavern.
He planned to lose himself in the crowd gathering outside, hoping Sun Wukong wouldn't dare unleash a killing move in public.
"Typical. You can always tell what kind of person covets someone else's property."
Sun Wukong closed the distance in a flash.
Muhwa, who was fighting nearby, was astonished by his movement.
'What kind of footwork is that?'
Without missing a beat, Sun Wukong leapt over Im Bo's head and blocked his path.
Im Bo gritted his teeth and thrust out both hands.
A surge of powerful internal qi shot forth.
Sun Wukong extended his finger, the red point at its tip.
A wave of scorching heat erupted from his fingertip, forming a Qi Wave.
The Qi Wave tore through the air, creating a momentary vacuum.
Im Bo's attack was swallowed up by the vacuum, vanishing without a trace.
In that instant, Im Bo locked eyes with Sun Wukong.
As he tried to muster his remaining strength for one last attack, Sun Wukong's fists moved in a blur.
Crack! Im Bo's left arm snapped. Crack! His right arm shattered, dangling uselessly.
Crunch! His left foot caved in as if struck by a hammer, and snap! His right knee twisted at an unnatural angle.
He was left so broken that death might have been preferable. The other Azure Hero Society Martial Artists fell silent.
Sun Wukong glanced around.
"Well? Aren't you going to drop your swords?"
"...!"
"If you don't, I'll make sure you can't even hold chopsticks, just like him."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the Martial Artists all dropped their swords in a panic. Sun Wukong grinned.
He withdrew the demonic power from his fingertips.
'Not bad.'
Demonic power was supposed to be wild and uncontrollable.
But he had compressed it into a tiny point at his fingertip.
Not expansion, but compression.
It was a way of using demonic power he'd never tried before.
Sun Wukong smiled in satisfaction as he looked over the surrendered Martial Artists.
None of them were in good shape.
Muhwa hadn't been especially brutal, but all her opponents were covered in wounds, big and small.
Muhwa approached.
"Master Sun, was the meteorite iron just bait to justify this?"
He'd dangled the tempting bait of meteorite iron, waited for them to attack first, and now had the justification to strike back and reclaim his interests from the Azure Hero Society.
That's how it looked to Muhwa. Her expression was grim. In the end, it was still a show of force—the very method the elders of the Namgung Clan always advocated.
"This means we'll be enemies with the Azure Hero Society. No matter what they're like, they're still part of the Orthodox Faction."
Muhwa sighed. The Namgung Clan's reputation in the Jianghu was already well-known.
Now they'd just added another layer of infamy.
Sun Wukong shrugged and turned away.
"Let's head back to the Workshop."